Variety’s Power of Women: New York Honorees

Power of Women

Variety’s Power of Women luncheon will make its New York City debut by honoring Claire Danes, Nancy Dubuc, Idina Menzel, Iman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Susan Sarandon on April 25 at Cipriani Midtown.

The event is also presented by A&E’s new television network, FYI.

These women are being recognized for their humanitarian efforts with their chosen causes.

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Claire Danes

Claire Danes on Afghan Hands: “Widows are basically beholden to their in-laws, and afterthe death of their husbands they’re seen as a burden. They have these wonderful embroideryskills, and in exchange for that work they can learn howto read and do math, and hopefully in the process have agreater means to exist in the world.”

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Claire Danes on the cover of Variety

“My parents are artists, and one of our friends spent the 1980s going to Afghanistan and taking photographs of the women there,” she says. “I’ve been affected by these images my whole life.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker on the New York City Ballet: “I wanted to think about that next generation, how we were going to reach out to new audience members.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover of Variety

“It’s important to us as people, as Americans, to allow ourselves to appreciate the art form. We know that to be true.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Nancy Dubuc

Nancy Dubuc on Rubicon and the Mission Continues: “These organizations are not just honoring the past, butcontinuing in the future — really celebrating the serviceof these men and women. I wanted to do something thatwas more than just a call to action, or putting our nameon a plaque in a museum.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Nancy Dubuc on the cover of Variety

“These men and women haveserved our country, and this is a way to honor their legacyand hopefully inspire others to do so as well.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel on summer camp of A Broader Way: “It’s about using the arts to help girls find their own voice,” says Menzel. “There’s a lot of young women who don’t know how to use their voice literally and figuratively. These girls get to be the authors of their own life.”

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Idina Menzel on the cover of Variety

“I loved being able to reinvent myself during the summer, and not be judged by the same group of kids I saw in school.”

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Iman

Iman, on Somalia’s Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation: “It’s a small foundation, on the ground,with people who are making lasting changes rather thanbig foundations that make a lot of noise.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Iman on the cover of Variety

“It was a clan-based country, not tribal. Everyone was related to each other, one language, one religion, you could not think of a more unified country,” she says. “As a Somali it’s mind-boggling to me what is happening.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon on Hope North: “We’re working to keep (Okello Sam’s) school afloat. The organizations I spend time with, or have worked with for a long period of time, are organizations I can vouch for — and that’s important. I can get spread pretty thin.”

Yu Tsai for Variety

Susan Sarandon on the cover of Variety

“I’m in a business that leads to empathy, which leads to action. Having the ability to constantly reframe perspective for people, and give them an opportunity to identify with someone they never thought they could deal with — that’s when things get interesting, because it leads to dialogue.”